10.18.00
by: Jesse Faen
Transworldsurf.com

Garcia Defeated In Round One; Closest Rivals Wins

Barra Da Tajuca, Brazil (Wednesday, Oct 18, 2000) Current ratings leader Sunny Garcia (Haw) was today defeated in the opening round of the Rio Surf International 2000. In 2-foot (0.5m) tide affected conditions at Barra beach he was beaten by fellow Hawaiian Kalani Robb, and will now have to contest round two against wildcard Bruno Santos (Brz) in the first heat tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, Luke Egan and Jake Paterson (both Australian), the only other surfers with a chance at this years' world title, won their matches and advanced straight into round three.

Garcia, 30, holds an extremely comfortable lead over his two closest rivals and looks set to claim his maiden world crown in 2000, but today's result did little to help. Robb opened their 30-minute heat with the highest scoring ride of the match, 7-points, and left his more experienced opponent needing a 7.41 score at the end.

"Waves are a little small and hard to surf with the backwash, but Kalani was surfing good and it was just lack of waves for me," explained Garcia afterward. "You have to be really picky and I missed a couple of waves that probably would have been a little better. That's the way it goes. I think Luke and Jake have more pressure on them to do well, so for me, if I do well it's a bonus. I just have to wait around and see how they do."

Robb, 23, is currently rated 18th, and despite beating Garcia today, claimed he was not trying his hardest during the match. Regardless, the nimble surfer dominated the left-handers for the win.

"I didn't really try out there in that heat, and that's the irony of it," said Robb. "I hope Sunny wasn't mad, but I wasn't really trying too hard. I just wanted to get a couple and prove I could surf out there. I ended up getting the better waves, so just stupid luck, I guess."

Egan and Paterson proved they haven't given up hope for this years' world title today, despite the steep odds, as both posted strong opening wins. Egan overcoming a tough battle with fellow Australian Richie Lovett and Brazilian Leonardo Neves, while Paterson dominated his clash with Brazilians Fabio Gouveia and Fabio Silva.

Egan, 30, has held the runner-up position for the majority of the year and needs to reach both the final here in Brazil, as well as again in Hawaii, to preserve any opportunity of over-taking Garcia. After his win today he simply acknowledged the desire to advance one heat at a time and stay focused on the job closer to hand.

"They're some of the hardest waves I've had to surf all year," said Egan. "It's so hard to surf out there it's ridiculous. Stoked I got through, as Richie was surfing good and had a good comeback, but I managed to maintain.

"I'm not even thinking about it yet," he added, in response to the world title prospect. "Heat-by-heat, like any other event at any other time of the year. I got through that heat and now I'm thinking about the third round heat, that's it."

Defending event champion Taj Burrow (Aus) was another to win his opening match today. Up against fellow Australian Shane Powell and Brazilian replacement Tanio Baretto (after the UK's Russell Winter decided not to compete), Burrow clinched the heat on his final ride with typically fast and radical surfing.

"I'm happy to be here and be defending champ," said Burrow. "It was pretty hard that first heat. It was only small with lots of backwash, and I only got my last score on a tiny little right, so I was really lucky. I just hope I can keep it going.

"I just want to move up the ratings as much as I can," he added, since the world title is now out of his reach. "I'm ninth at the moment and it looks really hard to even make the top five, but that's my goal."

Shane Dorian (Haw) was the day's highest scorer, posting both the best single wave of 9.25-points, as well as a combined total heat tally of 22.35 out-of-a possible 30-points against Taylor Knox (USA) and fellow Hawaiian Conan Hayes. Dorian, 28, is currently rated seventh, but no longer has a shot at the world crown after losing early during the last WCT event in California two weeks ago.

The Brazilian contingent of 15 surfers in the Rio Surf International - six of them due to event wildcards and replacement spots after three surfers chose not to compete at Barra - only managed four wins today. Flavio Padaratz, his younger brother Neco, Victor Ribas, and Armando Daltro all gave the local crowd something to get excited about, while their fellow countrymen will be hoping for similar good fortune in round two.

Competition should begin tomorrow morning at 8am (local time), with updated information available on www.aspworldtour.com.

Official Results of Round One in the Rio Surf International 2000 - WCT#12

1. Flavio Padaratz (Brz) 16.40; Shane Beschen (USA) 14.50; Paul Canning (SAfr) 12.25

2. Shea Lopez (USA) 18.45; Renan Rocha (Brz) 16.10; Glyndyn Ringrose (Aus) 14.70

3. Shane Dorian (Haw) 22.35; Taylor Knox (USA) 19.25; Conan Hayes (Haw) 14.35

4. Armando Daltro (Brz) 19.85; Rob Machado (USA) 18.75; Toby Martin (Aus) 14.85

5. Victor Ribas (Brz) 18.60; CJ Hobgood (USA) 17.50; Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz) 11.25

6. Michael Campbell (Aus) 22.15; Crhistiano Spirro (Brz) 16.05; Tim Curran (USA) 13.25

7. Taj Burrow (Aus) 16.05; Shane Powell (Aus) 15.85; Tanio Baretto (Brz) 15.30

8. Kalani Robb (Haw) 19.65; Sunny Garcia (Haw) 16.95; Bruno Santos (Brz) 13.25

9. Luke Egan (Aus) 19.25; Richard Lovett (Aus) 18.65; Leonardo Neves (Brz) 17.90

10. Jake Paterson (Aus) 19.65; Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 15.00; Fabio Silva (Brz) 11.55

11. Cory Lopez (USA) 16.50; Todd Prestage (Aus) 16.10; Pat O'Connell (USA) 12.80

12. Damien Hobgood (USA) 19.00; Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 13.75; Shawn Sutton (Haw) 13.00

13. Greg Emslie (SAfr) 17.60; Nathan Webster (Aus) 14.35; Ross Williams (Haw) 11.70

14. Ben Bourgeois (USA) 17.00; Daniel Wills (Aus) 14.45; Peterson Rosa (Brz) 14.15

15. Luke Hitchings (Aus) 18.10; Yuri Sodre (Brz) 17.25; Beau Emerton (Aus) 16.05

16. Neco Padaratz (Brz) 19.75; Michael Lowe (Aus) 10.75; Andy Irons (Haw) 10.05

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